Young people 'will cancel default sound limits on personal music devices'

A survey suggests that the majority of young people will override the new default sound limits on personal music players, despite being aware of the risks to their hearing.

As of February 2013, all personal music players sold in the EU are required to have a sound limit of 85 decibels (dB) to reduce users' risk of hearing loss.

Almost four-fifths (79 per cent) of young people responding to a survey by the charity Action on Hearing Loss were unaware of the new standards.

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The vast majority (95 per cent) said they knew about the dangers of listening to loud music, but nearly two-fifths admitted they would override the new default settings and make their music louder.

Many said they would do so to block out background noise while listening to their music.

Action on Hearing Loss said: 'We would recommend using noise cancelling headphones which enable you to enjoy music without turning it up too loud - so when you're buying headphones make sure you check for noise cancelling or isolation features.'

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